234 ANGLING 



When the angler is at Dumfries, there is an extensive 

 and somewhat wUd district of fishahle grounds lying to 

 the west, and which goes under the general name of 

 Gallowayshire. There is a numher of small but ia- 

 teresting streams issuing out of these mountain passes, 

 which are full of small trout, with a fair sprinkling of 

 salmon. All these running waters empty themselves 

 into the Solway Firth, and have a range of from fifteen 

 to twenty-five miles from the sea. There are no 

 railways in this direction; but there is a mail coach 

 which travels from Dumfries to Port Patrick by the 

 seaside route — a distance of about one hundred miles. 

 This the tourist can avail himself of if he chooses. But 

 the best method of anghng these Gallowayshire waters 

 is by traversing the country on foot, going from river 

 to river, and from loch to loch. The country is then 

 seen in all its wild freshness and sublimity; and 

 unfrequented waters are met with, where the angling 

 proves very successful, and redolent of genuine sport. 

 The chief rivers in this part of Scotland are the Urr, 

 which rises in Kirkcudbrightshire, the Dee, the Cree, 

 the Minnick, the Fleet, and the Stinchar. These are 

 all prohfic streams, and they have each tributary waters, 

 enjoying as great an angling repute as themselves. 



The loch-fishing in this vicinity is likewise good. 

 The lochs of Grannoch, Darnal, Glento, and Roan 

 contain large trout and pike ; and so likevrise do Loch 

 Brack, and Barscohe, Honie, and Skae. 



When the rod-fisher has finished his Galloway ramble, 

 if he turn the corner of the Peninsula, and direct his 

 steps north towards Glasgow, he will find several rivers 

 of some note in his route. The first is the Gfirvan, 

 which springs partly out of a loch called Spalander, in 

 which there are very large trout. The banks of the 

 Girvan have been long celebrated for their singular 

 beauty. Burns sings of "Girvan's fairy-haimted 

 stream." There is good fly-fishing in it. The Doon 

 and its feeders enjoy a high repute for sport. All these 

 waters, and the localities adjoining them, have been 

 rendered famous by the genius of Kobert Burns. The 



